WCP_12926

The Westchester County Press Post Office Box 152, White Plains, NY 10602

97 YEARS

VOL. XCVII NO. 5

County Press The Westchester

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WHITE PLANS, NY PERMIT # 5069

“Documenting Our History for the Future.”

ISSN 0043-3373

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2026

MEMBER OF NNPA

An ICE Shooting, Foreign Aggression, and the Making of a Chaotic America

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent America no longer wakes up to news. It wakes up to damage reports, and Federal officials said the agent fired in self-defense. ICE claimed officers the reports keep piling up faster than the country can absorb them. were conducting targeted operations when “violent rioters” blocked them, and said the woman “weaponized her vehicle” and attempted to run over In south Minneapolis, a woman died after an Immigration and Customs agents, calling it “an act of domestic terrorism.” The statement said an ofEnforcement agent fired three shots into her vehicle during a street confron- ficer fired “defensive shots” and “used his training” to save lives. tation that played out in full view of cameras and bystanders. A video posted Minneapolis officials say the story does not match what they saw. on social media shows several agents approaching a burgundy SUV in the Mayor Jacob Frey said local law enforcement had two priorities in the middle of the street and ordering the driver to get out. When one agent grabs minutes that followed. First, get the victim to the hospital. Second, get ICE the driver’s side door handle, the vehicle reverses and then drives forward. out of the area because the federal presence was “making a difficult situation An agent near the front of the SUV appears to draw his firearm and fire three more problematic,” Frey said. shots. The SUV then crashes into a parked car and hits a light pole.

CHAOTIC AMERICA, Cont’d. on page 11

Digital Copy: www.westchestercountypress.com

2 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, 2026

Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins Leads Senate in Advancing Legislation to Protect Reproductive Health Care Access

As federal actions continue to threaten access to reproductive health care nationwide, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins announced that the New York State Senate is advancing legislation to protect reproductive rights, strengthen patient privacy, and expand fertility and IVF coverage.

The legislative package moved forward as New Yorkers marked the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, underscoring the need for continued action to protect rights that many once believed were secure.

“Access to reproductive health care is an essential right for New Yorkers,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “As we reflect on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are reminded that protecting this right requires constant vigilance. This legislative package demonstrates the State Senate’s continued commitment to protecting New Yorkers’ rights to accessible and safe reproductive health care.”

The advanced measures would expand support for local providers and nonprofit organizations that help patients access care, including assis-

• Amending The Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program: would amend the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program to provide practical support including reimbursement for travel, meals and lodging to individuals accessing abortion care.

• Preventing a Conditional Requirement for Subsequent IVF Cycle Coverage: would prohibit commercial insurers from requiring women 35 or older to transfer all embryos from a previous IVF cycle as a condition of covering a subsequent cycle.

NYS SENATE MAJORITY LEADER ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS

• Restricting the Disclosure of Sensitive Health Information: would require electronic health record systems to allow patients to restrict the disclosure of their personal health information.

tance with travel and related costs. The legislation would also address barriers to fertility treatment by strengthening insurance coverage, protecting • Establishing a Statewide Comaccess to medication abortion, expanding contraceptive access through lo- prehensive Sexual and Reproductive cal pharmacies, and safeguarding sensitive medical information. Together, Health Program: would establish a these reforms are designed to ensure that New Yorkers can access reproduc- statewide comprehensive sexual and tive and fertility care safely, privately, and close to home.

MAJORITY LEADER, The legislation advanced under Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins’ leadership includes: Cont’d. on page 11

Legislators’ Joint Statement on Public Service Commission’s Approval of Con Edison Rate Increase

“In approving this rate hike, the Public Service Commission failed to uphold its duty to protect ratepayers and act in the public interest. The consequences of this decision are devastatingly real – not just ‘emotional’ or ‘political,’ as a commissioner suggested during their commentary. People will be forced to choose between heat and healthcare. Seniors will skip medications. Families will cut back on necessities just to pay the bills.

“For more than a year – not weeks, as some Commissioners suggested during their questioning – we have been speaking out against current unconscionable utility bills, proposed rate hikes, and the rate-making process. For more than a year, we have been amplifying the voices of thousands of ratepayers, organizing our communities, and pushing legislation to protect New Yorkers from unfair, unjust, and unaffordable rate hikes. For more than a year, we have called for the ratepayers to be put first and shareholders second.

“We know this advocacy has been heard. That’s why it’s so disingenuous that the Public Service Commission dismissed the voices of tens of thousands of New York-

ers as merely ‘multiple individuals.’ That characterization is insulting to the thousands who took the time to speak out, to share their struggles, and to demand fairness. The rate-setting process is dense, opaque, and inscrutable, and its complexity and intricacy leave the public in the dark – it is a process that is heavily skewed in favor of the utility and its shareholders.

“We are deeply disappointed by this decision. It reflects a profound failure of responsibility. We will continue to fight alongside our colleagues in the Legislature, and the Governor, using every legislative tool available to protect New Yorkers and to hold both utilities and regulators accountable. The public deserves better, and we will not stop demanding it.”

Statement by State Senators Shelley Mayer, Robert Jackson, and Nathalia Fernandez, Assembly Members Chris Burdick, Dana Levenberg, and MaryJane Shimsky, and City Council Member Harvey Epstein on the Public Service Commission’s Approval of Con Edison Rate Increase.

SENATOR SHELLEY MAYER

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, ,2026 • 3

Attorney General Ellison Says Feds Persecuting Minnesota for Its Politics Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul have filed federal lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that a large-scale ICE deployment violated constitutional limits and endangered residents, schools, and local services.

By Clint Combs

He and mayors petition court to restrain ICE surge The state of Minnesota, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed federal lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security, alleging that a large-scale deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents violated the U.S. Constitution and the states’ rights.

Attorney General Keith Ellison asked a federal judge to block the federal government from deploying thousands of immigration agents into Minnesota, arguing the action overstepped federal authority.

“We allege that the surge has had a reckless impact on our schools and on our local law enforcement,” Ellison said. “It is a violation of the Tenth Amendment and the sovereign powers granted to states under the Constitution.”

The lawsuit follows reports that ICE agents detained a special education assistant at Roosevelt High School and used chemical irritants against teachers and students, hours after ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good near Portland Avenue and 34th Street in Minneapolis.

Ellison said the state is challenging what he described as “excessive and lethal force” by federal agents, including warrantless arrests and targeting of courts, houses of worship, and schools.

PBS Frontline reporter AC Thompson told Ellison that his reporting crew was pepper-sprayed by federal agents while covering enforcement activity. “Is this liti-

(Front row, l-r) Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, joined by other local officials, announce a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security over federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis on Monday, Jan. 12. Credit: Official live stream.

KEITH PORTER, JR.

RENEE GOOD

ALEX PRETTI

gation aimed at restraining the use of crowd-control and less-lethal weapons?” Thompson asked. “Our crew was pepper-sprayed today by federal agents. Are you taking action on that?”

Ellison said the state believes the actions are part of a broader pattern of retaliation by the federal government. “We believe that the federal government is persecuting the state of Minnesota because of our political views,” Ellison said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the surge, which began in December, is expected to cost the city

millions of dollars in police overtime.

“We have normal core functions that we are tasked with daily,” Frey said. “We respond to 911 calls, work to prevent murders and carjackings, and continue community policing efforts that have driven crime rates down.”

Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Minneapolis police established a dedicated dispatch operation to handle 911 calls related to encounters with federal agents.

“We had a dramatic increase in calls related to this activity,” O’Hara said. “There is a designated supervi-

sor on duty 24/7 to field those calls and prioritize response as policies continue to evolve.”

Frey said residents reported incidents of agents in unmarked uniforms and cars detaining American citizens. On Jan. 8, U.S. Border Patrol agents detained two workers at a Target store in Richfield, including 17-year-old Jonathan Aguilar Garcia, who was later released at a Walmart parking lot after agents confirmed he was a U.S. citizen.

“Some of you saw the videos from Target and Roosevelt High School,” Ellison said. “I have received count-

MINNESOTA, Cont’d. on page 13

4 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, 2026

OP-ED: Stop Corporate Consolidation Silencing Local Media Voices

PUBLISHER

1986-2009

M. Paul Tells All

By M. Paul Redd, Sr. August 11, 1928 - January 9, 2009

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)

What We Can Learn From The People of Minnesota

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper Chairman of the Board of Directors, NNPA American democracy is under siege across the board in different industries. Diversity is good for business and diversity is good for American democracy. Exclusive corporate policies and regulations erode democratic principles.

Local journalism is indispensable to the protection of civil rights and equality for all Americans, and in particular for Black American communities and other communi-

The Westchester

County Press

(ISSN 0043-3373) is published weekly on Thursday in White Plains, New York. Copies: 40¢. Yearly Subscription: $25.00, two years: $45.00. National Advertising representative: National Newspaper Publishers Association. Local and national advertising rates on request.

Paper founded August 1, 1928 to serve the County of Westchester, New York.

Sandra T. Blackwell President, Publisher & Editor Carolyn B. Coleman Vice President Alyce T. Coleman Executive Editor Bruce L. Bozeman, Esq. Legal Counsel Celeste Coleman-Housey, Ed.D. Art Director/Managing Editor Editorial & Advertising Offices P.O. Box 152 White Plains, NY 10602

Telephone:(914) 953-2620 Member: National Newspaper Publishers Association

ties of color across the nation. Local-owned news media is crucial to community empowerment and civic participation.

Today we are facing another pivotal moment: huge corporate TV station groups seeking to weaken or eliminate the 39% national audience reach cap, alongside Nexstar’s proposed takeover of TEGNA. The cap is set by Congress and is not the FCC’s to discard. Media consolidation on this scale threatens the diversity of viewpoints, the independence of local newsrooms, and the public’s access to locally grounded information.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and other local print and television news media organizations take an urgent exception to the current attempts by huge corporate consolidations to effectively silence local media voices and businesses. Millions of Americans rely on local TV stations and local community-owned newspapers as their most trusted news sources.

Consolidation among the big station groups has already led to: shrinking newsrooms, fewer reporters, and worse working conditions; must-run corporate segments displacing locally-focused reporting: and, word-forword duplication of newscasts across stations held by the same owner. The steady erosion of localism means fewer culturally relevant perspectives, diminished investigative reporting, and weakened community accountability.

The growing devastation of the print journalism ecosystem offers a stark warning: corporate roll-ups prioritized margins over missions; local newspapers were hollowed out by distant ownership; and, communities

DR. JOHN E. WARREN

We the people, of San Diego and other cities around these States, have much we can learn from the people of Minnesota.

First, they did not allow the cold weather to interfere with the need to rally and protest the illegal actions of I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). They did NOT allow the double murders of their neighbors to keep them from getting involved.

Let it be said first that there are some very committed people in this county who take to the streets weekly against the actions of the Trump Administration against our neighbors. But all our problems are not with the Feds.

We still have actions of police brutality against our citizens. We have too many issues of people dying and experiencing mistreatment while in custody. We recently had a Black SDPD Commander, the only one on the police force, passed over for promotion to Assistant Chief. We have had no collective public reaction.

Then, there is the overall absence of Blacks from just about all protest movements. The reason some give is that not enough White’s supported the Black Lives Matter movement.

The reality is that the attack on any of us is an attack on all of us. Can we ignore the plight of others but expect help when they come for us?

We can be reminded by the people of Minnesota that we are stronger together; that we must talk to one another. Most of us have bigger issues than parking rates in Balboa Park. We have another round of budget cuts coming and a Fourth District City Council member chairing the budget committee who appears out of touch with the people of his District. We have an election coming in November but we are not talking about candidates in all the four Districts up for election since it takes five votes to get anything done. We would like to know where you stand on these and other issues.

lost vital watchdogs and trusted sources and valued generational businesses.

The same consolidation playbook is now being deployed in local television. The country cannot afford another collapse of local journalism—this time in local TV news, where so many families rely on freely accessible information every day. Absorbing TEGNA would give Nexstar control over 265 local TV stations reaching 80% of American homes. Such a combined entity would far exceed Congress’s 39% cap—making this not only a policy

SILENCING MEDIA, Cont’d. on page 13

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, ,2026 • 5

Keith Porter and Renee Good Aren’t the First ICE Shooting Victims

THE HUTCHINSON REPORT:

By Earl Ofari Hutchinson, Contributing Columnist, WAVE Community Newspapers “I’m not going to judge what the secretary says, but if you look up the definition of terrorism, it certainly can fall within that.

Tom Homan, the director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was simply parroting his boss, Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem’s narrative about the slaying of Renee Good. Both wasted no time in tarring Good as a domestic terrorist days after an ICE agent killed her in Minneapolis Jan. 7.

This is the first of a two-part series excerpted from Earl Ofari Hutchinson’s latest book, “The ICE Shooting Scorecard.”

Homan gave his self-assured assertion about Good’s action and killing to NBC News. By then the video, multiple videos, had raised serious doubt that Good acted out of deliberate malice and that she posed an imminent danger to ICE Agent Jonathan Ross. Though the Good slaying was exceptional in that it was caught on video, it was hardly the first time that Homan spoke out on ICE actions, especially the use of deadly force.

The Good slaying, in fact, opened the door to many about just how emboldened and deadly ICE agents had become in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second Oval Office tenure. During 2025, ICE agents, at Trump’s iron-fisted directive, fanned out into Los Angeles before spreading to Washington, D.C., Chicago, Memphis, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, New Orleans, and of course, Minneapolis.

In almost all those cities, there were reports of an avalanche of abuses, up to and including shootings.

An independent investigative group, Trace, tallied 31 incidents where ICE agents either opened fire or held someone at gunpoint. The one figure that jumped out in the tally was five. That was the number of people shot that the agency claimed were fleeing in their vehicle.

There were two presumptions about those shootings. One was that the allegedly fleeing individual was an undocumented worker, or had committed some criminal act, and

P A federal immigration agent makes an arrest last year. Columnist Earl Ofari Hutchinson writes that Keith Porter and Renee Good, recently killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, won’t be the last people killed by agents who claim to use unnecessary force only to defend themselves. Photo: iStockphoto/NNPA

was trying to evade apprehension.

The other was that the use of deadly force was justified.

The only evidence that the first presumption was true was the word of ICE agents. There was no evidence that any of the five individuals shot at while driving away posed an immediate danger to the agents, let alone that any of them possessed a weapon.

There are two questions about ICE’s use of deadly force under Trump. The first is were the shootings really necessary? The other is did the shootings indicate a dangerous trend that ICE teetered on being a lawless, out-of-control agency, with the wholehearted cheerleading of the Trump administration?

“Everything about these incidents indicates that these are probably shootings that did not need to happen,” Christy Lopez, a former senior civil rights litigator at the Justice Department, noted, “The ICE agents can’t prevent everything, but they have the ability to de-escalate situations. Instead, we see the opposite.

They’re actually stoking this inordinate amount of fear and this hypervigilance, and they should be trying to tamp it down — but they’re not.”

Another issue is whether the shootings mark a deadly trend by

ICE and Homeland Security with no fear of genuine scrutiny and accountability when deadly force is used.

There was little evidence that an ICE agent during Trump’s first year in the White House was prosecuted for an unwarranted shooting.

The courts did little to rein in the violence. They steadily watered down the grounds on which victims of violence or abuse by ICE could bring legal action or a suit against federal law enforcement officers.

That especially included immigration enforcement officials and agents.

The list of shootings that were by any legal standard grounds for arrest and prosecution of the agent involved had grown by the end of 2025.

Trump, ICE and Homeland Security officials had the same stock answer to why there was more gunplay and use of other weaponry in abundance. That was that ICE agents were under attack, and they had the right to defend themselves. Homeland Security officials went further and claimed that attacks were up in 2025 more than 25%.

They ticked off the hazards the agents supposedly faced — terrorist attacks, being shot at, having cars being used as weapons against them, bomb threats, assaults, and doxxing, shoving agents and throwing objects

at them The agency, in its defense left out one salient point, that was the overwhelming majority of the proimmigrant rights protests were lawful and peaceful. It also did not mention that some ICE agents routinely engaged in provocative actions against the peaceful protesters.

Even so, there were a few widely isolated incidents where ICE officers were fired on. The incidents were exceedingly rare, and no agents were killed or even seriously injured.

But they happened and that gave ICE, Homeland Security and Trump all the ammunition they needed to proclaim continually that their agents were in danger and that using force to protect themselves would and could be ruled out.

With the slaying of Good and Keith Porter Trump, and Homeland Security seemingly had the perfect foils to rail that ICE was under attack. Therefore, any means, and that included deadly force, was not only mandated but somehow heroic. That was a script that Trump would follow repeatedly.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His latest book is “The ICE Shooting Scorecard” (Amazon ebook and Middle Passage Press PB).

6 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, 2026

COMMENTARY: The Politics of Trump’s Continuing Disdain for MLK Day

By Professor David L. Horne, founder and executive director of PAPPEI, the Pan-African Public Policy and Ethical Institute

The Lorraine Motel historic National Civil Rights Museum, located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, is a museum and cultural institution dedicated to chronicling the history and legacy of the American civil rights movement. It is housed in the Lorraine Motel, the site where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The museum features exhibits, artifacts, and interactive displays that explore the struggle for civil rights in the United States, including key events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and the Selma to Montgomery marches. Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA.

The regular celebration of MLK Day in the U.S. was not only marred a bit this year by youth-led violence in several cities, including a mass fight in L.A.’s Leimert Park after the annual parade, but it was also again disrespected by current POTUS Donald Trump, who regularly tries to show disrespect for any Black achievement.

Although this was the 40th anniversary of the MLK Day celebrations, Trump waited until the end of the day, Monday, to belatedly issue the standard presidential recognition of the holiday, and unlike presidents before him, he attended no MLK events, nor did he bother with encouraging Americans to celebrate and emulate Dr. King’s examples of working together to accomplish American greatness through peace and love.

He simply went back to his Florida digs at

Mar-a-Lago for another vacation.

He did order the National Park Service not to allow visitors in for free during the day; however, this is contrary to park traditions on all federal holidays.

Also, Trump continued his public attempts to disrespect recognition of public significance for Black achievements in American history.

Similarly, for example, he has changed White House acknowledgements of important contributions by former POTUS Barack Obama.

Trump has carefully removed the official White House portraits of Obama—and also George Bush—and put them in out-of-theway places, and he has manufactured insulting public caricatures of Obama and other former presidents Trump does not like.

The elders in the Black community would

say (and have said) that “God don’t like ugly” and that Trump is really “cruisin’ for a bruisin’ in God’s eyes.”

Anyway, probably the best we can say about MLK Day, 2026, is that it did occur and that millions of people properly celebrated it, in spite of…

God doesn’t like ugly… We have to agree.

We just know there’s a Trump reckoning coming. And it isn’t too far away.

Professor David L. Horne is founder and executive director of PAPPEI, the Pan-African Public Policy and Ethical Institute, which is a new 501(c)(3) pending community-based organization or non-governmental organization (NGO). It is the stepparent organization for the California Black Think Tank, which still operates and meets every fourth Friday.

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, ,2026 • 7

Haiti – US Warns It Will Act if Political Moves Destabilize the Country From the New York Carib News

Photo courtesy NY Carib News.

The United States has issued a firm warning to Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, cautioning against any political actions that could further destabilize the country as international pressure mounts for long-delayed elections.

In a statement posted on X late Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti said Washington would view any attempt to alter the current governing arrangement as a serious threat to national stability, particularly if such moves benefit criminal gangs.

“The United States would consider that any person who supports such a destabilizing initiative, which favors the gangs, would be acting against the interests of the United States, the region, and the Haitian people, and will take appropriate measures accordingly,” the embassy stated.

The U.S. warned that any such maneuver would undermine efforts to establish a mini-

mum level of security and stability in Haiti, where gang violence continues to escalate, and economic hardship is deepening.

The statement comes amid reports of internal divisions within the Transitional Presidential Council, with some members reportedly at odds with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils Aimé.

The precise cause of the disagreement remains unclear, but the council met behind closed doors earlier on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the prime minister’s office said he could not comment on the situation, while the council’s seven voting members did not respond to requests for comment.

Council chairman Laurent Saint Cyr later issued a statement opposing any effort to weaken government stability at this critical juncture.

He emphasized that Haiti is approaching major institutional deadlines, including February 7, when the transitional council is provisionally scheduled to step down.

As major institutional deadlines for the nation approach, any initiative likely to fuel instability, confusion, or a breakdown of trust carries serious risks for the country,” Saint Cyr said.

He warned that unilateral decisions or short sighted political calculations could jeopardize the continuity of the state and further burden an already suffering population.

“Haiti cannot afford to make unilateral decisions or engage in short sighted political calculations that would compromise the stability and continuity of the state, as well as the well being of the already sorely tested population,” he added.

Haiti remains under intense international scrutiny as calls grow for elections to be held for the first time in nearly a decade, even as persistent violence and political uncertainty continue to complicate the path toward democratic governance.

8 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, 2026

44th Annual Albany Breakfast NYS Power Brokers Amelia Adams Fmr Chief of Staff to the NYS Lt. Governor

Tai Johnson Senior Advisor to the NYS Attorney General

Stacy Lynch 1st Black female Chief of Staff of any NYS Governor

Diana Richardson-Myrie Director of Statewide Engagment for the NYS Comptroller

Hilton Albany 40 Lodge Avenue, Albany, New York Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite.

Angela Davis-Farrish WBWPC President

February 15, 2026 at 7:00 am Early Bird ends on Janury 15, 2026 - $70

NYS Senator Jamaal Bailey

Price as of January 1, 2026 - $85

Purchase tickets at Eventbrite Dr. Alexandria Connally WBWPC Albany Breakfast Chair

Westchester County High School Students Start Forward Voices Project

Briarcliff High School junior Zahra Choudhri and Sleepy Hollow sophomore Marley DeFillipis are launching the Forward Voices Project, an initiative to expand access to civic education in Westchester.

Both members of NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins’ Youth Advisory Council (YAC), they understand the value of giving youth opportunities to speak up. Serving on the YAC has taught them an important lesson that lies at the core of the Forward Voice Project: everyone deserves the opportunity to find and use their voice.

Together, the two are founding the Forward Voices Project. Their mission is to give students a chance to learn about different areas of policy, discover opportunities for involvement, and hear directly from professionals. Free civic education workshops will be held in local high schools and public libraries. Each workshop will highlight a certain area of policy, such as environmental sustainability or food insecurity.

Want to become a Forward Voice and use your voice to positively impact your community? The Forward Voices Project is currently seeking motivated high school volunteers that will help to organize the civic education workshops. Leadership positions are also open for applications.

If interested in joining, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/ obqFVv9Na4PM1cmj9. Additional questions can be directed to forwardvoicesofwestchester@gmail.com

Robin Brumfield WBWPC Albany Breakfast Co-Chair

Forward Voices of Westchester

Are you a changemaker?

Join the forward Voices!

Who we are: The goal of the Forward Voices Project is to increase civic education in high schoolers. We will organize workshops in local high schools and public libraries to teach youth about different areas of policy and help them discover opportunities for involvement. Future projects may include civic engagement projects or voter registration drives.

WHO SHOULD JOIN? 13-18 year olds in Westchester interested in public service or activism why join?

Gain volunteer hours Strengthen skills of leadership, public speaking, and research Make a positive impact on your community Learn directly from professionals Boost your resume for college/job applications!

forwardvoicesofwestchester@gmail.com https://forms.gle/obqFVv9Na4PM1cmj9

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, ,2026 • 9

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10 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, 2026

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CHAOTIC AMERICA, Cont’d. from page 1

“What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust,” Frey said. “They are ripping families apart, sowing chaos in the streets, and, in this case, quite literally killing people.” He called the federal explanation a “garbage narrative,” saying he had viewed video of the encounter.

Gov. Tim Walz also disputed the self-defense claim after reviewing the footage. In a social media post, Walz said he had seen the video and warned the public not to accept what he described as a propaganda machine, adding that the state would push for a full and fast investigation and accountability.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said there was nothing to indicate the woman was the target of any law enforcement investigation. O’Hara said she appeared to be in her vehicle and blocked in the street because of the presence of federal law enforcement.

The shooting did not come out of nowhere. It came one day after the Department of Homeland Security announced what it called the largest DHS operation ever underway in Minnesota, saying about 2,000 law enforcement officers were being deployed to the Twin Cities, an escalation of an immigration crackdown that had started more than a month earlier. DHS officials pointed to arrests they said included violent offenders, while declining to detail the enforcement footprint for what they described as officer safety reasons.

That is the problem many city leaders and residents say they are living with: a vast federal operation that arrives like weather and leaves behind wreckage that local communities must clean up.

Then, as Minneapolis was still processing gunfire and grief, Washington’s posture abroad was telling a related story.

On Wednesday, the United States seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela, including the Russian-flagged Marinera, formerly known as the Bella-1, in an operation that unfolded in the North Atlantic. The Marinera had evaded a U.S. blockade back in December, according to sources familiar with the operation. Those sources said the U.S. Coast Guard and other military assets carried out the seizure and that Russian military vessels were in the area as the situation developed. The Coast Guard had tracked the vessel for the last two weeks after attempting to seize it on Dec. 20, when the empty ship was in the Caribbean and apparently headed to Venezuela.

By Dec. 31, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping listed the ship, renamed Marinera, as a Russian vessel. The crew had painted a Russian flag on the ship’s side. Russia’s Ministry of Transport condemned the seizure, saying U.S. forces boarded the vessel in international waters, then contact was lost.

“No state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” the ministry said.

The administration’s defenders argue that this is how a government protects its interests, at home and abroad. Critics see a different pattern, one that begins with escalation and ends with harm, while official statements try to do what bullets and blockades already did.

In Washington, one of the most influential voices shaping that approach has described the world in terms that leave little room for restraint. Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, said the real world is “governed by strength” and “governed by force,” presenting power as the baseline rather than the last resort. Another account of his internal role described a daily pressure campaign across federal agencies, with demands for steep increases in immigration arrests and rapid expansion of deportation machinery.

This philosophy is not confined to the border. It shows up in American neighborhoods when federal agents conduct operations in traffic lanes, and it shows up in international waters when the Coast Guard boards a tanker as rival military vessels hover nearby. The scale changes, the language changes, but the underlying idea remains the same. Force first, explanation later.

It also shows up in domestic policy, where instability becomes a feature rather than a failure.

As lawmakers again try and work toward a deal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that help millions afford coverage, families watch another high-wire negotiation that decides whether medical care remains accessible or slides further out of reach. The same government capable of seizing ships across the Atlantic and deploying thousands of agents into U.S. cities

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, ,2026 • 11

insists that health coverage still hinges on political bargaining.

In Minneapolis, the consequences were immediate and irreversible. A woman who city officials say was not a target of any investigation is dead after a confrontation with federal agents. The government says its agent feared for his life. The city says the agent acted recklessly and that ICE made an already volatile moment worse.

This is what national disorder looks like when it is dressed up as policy.

It looks like competing press releases at the scene of a killing. It looks like armored vehicles on neighborhood streets. It looks like international seizures that invite diplomatic outrage. It looks like healthcare security that remains one vote away from collapse. It looks like a country trying to decide whether strength is supposed to protect life or simply prove who holds power.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the federal presence is making the city less safe and demanded ICE leave immediately.

“The narrative that this was done in self-defense is a garbage narrative,” Frey said.

MAJORITY LEADER, Cont’d. from page 2

reproductive health program to ensure low-income, uninsured and underinsured New Yorkers can continue accessing affordable primary and preventive sexual and reproductive health services.

Medication Abortion Prescription Drugs: would allow pharmacists and prescribers filling prescriptions to exclude certain identifying information from the prescription labels of abortion medication.

• Advancing Equal Access to • Establishing The Equity in Fertility Care Act: would require Fertility Treatment Act: would recommercial insurance policies to quire certain health plans cover cover fertility preservation services. three completed donor egg retrievals for IVF with unlimited embryo • Exempting Certain Medica- transfers; prohibit plans from denytion Abortion Drugs from Being ing IVF coverage based on a conConsidered an Act of Criminal Di- sumer’s participation in fertility version: would exempt the prescrip- preservation services; and codify tion, dispensation, or receipt of a DFS guidance that requires coverbrand name or generic medication age of IVF services for same-sex abortion drug from being consid- couples. ered an act of criminal diversion, provided the labeling of such drug • Requiring Coverage for Conwas true and accurate at the time traceptive-Related Pharmacist Serof manufacture, and provided such vices: would require certain health drug was recommended by World insurance policies include coverage Health Organization guidelines for for services provided by pharmaits prescribed purpose. cists related to contraceptives.

• The New York State Abortion Clinical Training Program Act: would establish a clinical training program through the Department of Health (DOH) for the purpose of training healthcare practitioners in the performance of abortion procedures and related reproductive healthcare services.

• Reimbursing FQHCs for Injectable Fertility Drugs: would require the state to reimburse federally qualified health centers for injectable fertility drugs.

• Authorizing Pharmacists to Administer Injections for Contraceptive Use: would authorize pharmacists to administer injections for contraceptive use as prescribed by a licensed prescriber acting within the scope of their practice.

• Prohibiting Using Certain Reproductive Health Decisions as Evidence: would, in certain legal proceedings, prohibit the consideration of evidence that either parent has • Requiring Emergency Contraever obtained or attempted to obtain ception Availability at SUNY and reproductive health services relating CUNY: would require each SUNY to the termination of a pregnancy. and CUNY institution to have at least one vending machine that sells • Permitting Omission of Cer- emergency contraception. tain Information on Labeling of

12 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, 2026

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MINNESOTA, Cont’d from page 3

less calls from people saying they are afraid to go to work, and they’re citizens, not immigrants.”

Retailers including Target, Home Depot, and Walmart have faced criticism for allowing ICE to use parking lots as staging areas. Separately, security staff at Hennepin County Medical Center reportedly asked federal agents to leave a stabilization room after an injured person was brought in during an arrest. The agents allegedly refused.

State and local officials argue the incidents reflect what they describe as an ICE “invasion” of Minneapolis and other cities under a pretext of fraud enforcement.

David Super, a Georgetown University law professor, said Minnesota’s lawsuit is distinct from similar challenges in other states because the civil rights claims are being brought by the state itself.

“To prevail, Minnesota must persuade a court that the federal government is acting outside the powers granted by the Constitution and depriving the state of its sovereignty,” Super said. “While DHS has primary authority over immigration, these actions appear to extend against Minnesotans who are neither immigrants nor directly involved with immigration enforcement.”

Super said the court could issue emergency relief, such as a temporary restraining order, though such orders are limited in duration and subject to appeal by DHS. He also noted the case could reach the U.S. Supreme Court, where a conservative majority has previously ruled in favor of the Trump administration in immigration-related cases.

“Surrounding Ms. Good’s car, ordering her out, and shooting her for noncompliance goes far beyond federal authority to control immigration,” Super said. “A court could determine that such interactions with citizens are a core power of the state under the Tenth Amendment.”

Clint Combs welcomes reader responses at combs0284@gmail.com

SILENCING MEDIA, Cont’d from page 4

concern but also a legal one. This merger would trigger newsroom reductions, more content duplication, and a dramatic narrowing of editorial independence across dozens of cities.

Excessive consolidation gives a handful of corporate headquarters disproportionate influence over what the nation sees and hears. Communities of color are hit hardest when local storytelling disappears or when editorial direction is centralized far from the communities being covered. Local TV stations and other local journalism have long been essential entry points for young journalists of color; consolidation shrinks those pathways and reduces the diversity of the newsroom workforce.

Consolidation reliably drives up retransmission fees—costs that cable and satellite subscribers ultimately bear. Retransmission fees have risen over 2,000% in the past fifteen years. Nexstar has explicitly told investors that nearly half of its projected merger “synergies” come from raising retransmission revenues—effectively guaranteeing higher bills for millions of families without providing any new content or service. For households struggling with rising costs of living, these increases are especially burdensome.

The nation should not repeat the mistakes that allowed corporate consolidation to decimate local newspapers. Preserving strong, independent, community-rooted local print and television journalism is essential to democracy, equity, and civic life. The FCC should uphold the 39% cap, reject the Nexstar–TEGNA merger, and recommit to protecting localism, diversity, and the public interest. America’s airwaves belong to the people—not to a handful of corporate conglomerates.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr, is President and CEO of the National Newspapers Publishers (NNPA) and Executive Producer of the Chavis Chronicles on PBS TV Network. dr.bchavis@nnpa.org

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, ,2026 • 13

Assembly Passes Bill to Protect Health Care Providers that Prescribe and Dispense Abortion Medication

Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblymember Amy Paulin announced today that the Assembly has passed legislation to protect health care professionals that legally prescribe and dispense abortion medication (A.09217, Paulin).

“New York will continue to take decisive and bold action as we protect New York’s health care providers and safeguard access to reproductive care,” said Speaker Heastie. “As we continue to witness the federal administration further undermine our health care professionals, the Assembly Majority will work to ensure they can continue providing safe and effective life-saving medication to women throughout the state.”

“I am proud to sponsor this legislation so that health care providers can continue doing their jobs without fear of unjustified legal punishment,” said Assemblymember Paulin. “Mifepristone has been proven safe and effective for decades. This bill would give doctors peace of mind and help protect access to this essential means of reproductive healthcare.”

This bill builds on protections the Assembly has fought for in previous years to safeguard health care providers that provide reproductive health services to patients. It exempts brand name or generic mifepristone, or any drug used for medication abortion, from being deemed unlawful to prescribe or dispense, even if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rescinds its approval.

This bill follows the federal administration’s targeting of reproductive health care by specifically challenging the efficacy of mifepristone and will ensure New Yorkers can continue to access the medication.

14 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, 2026

Community Calendar

CALENDAR SUBMISSION: Please use a brief paragraph to describe your event. The paragraph should include event name, date(s), time, location and contact information. Send calendar information via email to westchestercountypress@yahoo.com. Please type “CALENDAR EVENT” in the subject bar.

Friday, January 30

The County Department of Public Works & Transportation will meet on Friday, January 30 at 9:00 a.m. at 148 Martine Ave., White Plains, NY – 5th Floor Room 527, Members of the public may view this meeting online at meetings.westchestergov.com. To make public comments remotely please e-mail har9@WestchesterCountyNY.gov for instructions in advance of the meeting.

Saturday, January 31

The public is cordially invited to the Inaugural Ball for Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, 7:00 to 11:00 p.m., at the VIP Country Club, 600 Davenport Avenue in New Rochelle, NY. For sponsorship information and to purchase tickets, visit tinyurl.com/JenkinsInaugural 2026 or contact Jackie Misler at jackie. misler@gmail.com. Tickets: Patron: $1,000; Individual: $300.

Black Tie Optional.

Tuesday, February 3

On behalf of the Fairview Empowerment Group and the Greenburgh Black History Museum Initiative, I am pleased to invite you to attend Art & Power, an artist talk featuring renowned sculptor Vinnie Bagwell on February 4, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The program explores how art functions as power; shaping memory, asserting presence, and elevating whose stories are represented in public spaces, through Ms. Bagwell’s work centering Black history, dignity, and resilience. We are grateful for the partnership and support of WESPAC, whose commitment to education, justice, and community dialogue aligns closely with the spirit of this program. As part of our ongoing cultural and educational programming in Greenburgh, this event brings together residents, artists, educators, and civic leaders for meaningful dialogue and public engagement. We would be honored to welcome you or members of your team. Event details are attached, and we are happy to provide any additional information you may need. Warm regards,,Johan Snaggs Chair, Fairview Empowerment Group Greenburgh Black History seum Initiative

The Westchester County Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, February 3 at 9:00 a.m., in Conference Room 420, 148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, New York 10601. Members of the public may view this meeting online at: Tuesday, February 10 meetings.westchestergov.com The Housing Opportunity Commission will meet on Tuesday, Tuesday, February 3 Westchester County Executive February 10 at 4:00 p.m. MemKen Jenkins invites you to join bers of the public may view this in celebration of Black History meeting online at: meetings.westMonth, 5:30-7:00 p.m., at the chestergov.com Michaelian Office Building, 148 Friday, February 13 Martine Avenue, White Plains, NY: RSVP by Friday, January 30, Saturday, February 14 Show Way and Change Reaction 2026: bit.ly/4pm83pr.

For over 19 years, our team has Thursday, February 4 produced theater that inspires.

This February, we invite you to join us for a powerful double-feature perfect for the whole family: Show Way: A journey of heritage and the secret maps to freedom.

Chain Reaction: A high-energy look at how one small act sparks a movement. Friday and Saturday, Feb 13 & 14, at Peekskill High School. Support the Arts: We are seeking Business Sponsors to help keep our youth programs thriving. If you own or know a business that would like to partner with us, please reply to this email for our sponsorship details or share this Link: Become a Sponsor. Let’s celebrate 19 years of community and creativity together. Best, Ridvan Idara, New Era Creative Space Inc.

Friday, Feb. 13 thru Sunday, Feb. 15

In just two short weeks, the NAACP New York State Conference will be joining electeds, advocates, and community leaders for the 55th Annual NYSABPRHAL Legislative Conference from February 13–15 in Albany, NY. The weekend will include workshops, panel discussions, networking receptions and more.

This year, we are excited to announce that national NAACP leadership will also be participating in events throughout the weekend.

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, will serve as the Keynote Speaker at the Annual Scholarship Gala* - Sunday, February 15, 2026, from 7:00–10:00 PM. Karen Boykin-Towns, Vice Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, will be honored at the Women’s Empowerment Brunch - Saturday, February 14, 2026, from 12:00–2:00 PM, held at the

New York State Capitol Building, Assembly Chambers. *The Annual Scholarship Gala, if you are interested in purchasing tickets, you may do so using this link: https:// na.eventscloud.com/ereg/index. php?eventid=867946& NAACP leadership will also be participating in a Youth Summit to be held on Saturday for our young people to get organized and activated. ‘The Youth Summit is a free, high-energy experience created for youth from elementary school through high school—designed to be fun, engaging, and full of moments that keep you plugged in while you discover new ideas and what you can become.’ Register for the Youth Summit here. The State Conference is hosting the following workshops on Saturday the 14th: • Democracy During Detention: Protecting the Right to Vote for People in Local Jails 10:30 - 11:45 and • Beauty Justice: Safety, Culture, and Equity in the Beauty and Personal Care Industry 3:45 - 5:00 pm. Please complete the form to let us know that you will be in attendance.

You can also use the form to let us know if you are interested in volunteering. Please note that we will ONLY contact you if additional volunteers are needed.

Tuesday, February 17

The Agriculture & Farmland Protection Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 17 at 4:00 p.m. in the Cassella Conference Room 420, 148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, New York 10601. Members of the public may view this meeting online at: meetings.westchestergov.com

Wednesday, Feb. 18

The Historic Preservation Com-

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, ,2026 • 15

mittee Meeting will be held onWednesday, February 18 at 3:30 p.m., Conference Room 420, 148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, New York 10601. Members of the public may view this meeting online at: meetings.westchestergov. com

kers Public Library, One Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY. Join Yonkers native and veteran Yonkers Police Detective Ken Davis and learn about the first three African American patrol officers serving the City of Yonkers and the Yonkers Police Department.

Westchester County Board of Health Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 19 at 8:30 a.m., at the Westchester County Health Department Office 11 Martine Ave., 12th Floor, White Plains, New York 10606. Members of the public may view this meeting online at https://www. meetings.westchestergov.com

Soil & Water Conservation District Board Meeting will meet on Friday, February 20 at 9:00 a.m. in Conference Room 429, 148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, New York 10601. Members of the public may view this meeting online at: meetings.westchestergov.com

Thursday, Feb. 19

Thursday, Feb. 19

The Yonkers Public Library and NYS Council on the Arts presents a program commemorating Black History Month: “The History of African Americans in the Yonkers Police Department” at 6:00 p.m. in the Yonkers Room of Yon-

Friday, February 20

Sunday, February 22

Honor Black History Month and advance health equity by attending an engaging and informative program focused on brain health, on Sunday, February 22, 2026, 4:00pm-5:00pm. The “Purple Sunday” Initiative of the Alzheimer’s Association will feature powerful testimonials from guest speakers

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Tuesday, March 3

Westchester County Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, March 3 at 9:00 a.m., in Conference Room 420, 148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, New York 10601. Members of the public may view this meeting online at: Saturday, Feb. 28 We are delighted to invite you to meetings.westchestergov.com a transformative gathering—Soul Friday, March 6 Shop for Black Churches , hosted Westchester County Transportaat Mt Olivet Baptist Church in tion Board will meet on Friday, Peekskill on Saturday, February March 6 at 9 a.m., at the Depart28th 2026. Soul Shop is a nation- ment of Public Works & Transporally recognized movement equip- tation, 148 Martine Ave., White ping faith and community lead- Plains, NY – 5th Floor Room 527 ers to engage suicide prevention Members of the public may view from a place of hope, spiritual this meeting online at meetings. care, and connection. This spe- westchestergov.com. To make cialized workshop is designed for public comments remotely please clergy, ministry leaders, lay lead- e-mail har9@WestchesterCouners, and anyone called to walk tyNY.gov for instructions in adalongside others i vance of the meeting.

CALENDAR, Continues next week

16 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, JANUARY 29, 2026